UniAbuja ASUU suspends 82-day strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has announced the suspension of its 82-day strike with immediate effect.

The UniAbuja ASUU Chairman, Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, announced the suspension of the strike shortly after the congress held by the union in Abuja on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Ugoh hinged the suspension of the strike on the union’s engagement with the institution’s new Governing Council, which promised to review all their demands and address them.

The UniAbuja ASUU had, on May 2, embarked on the indefinite strike to protest violation of its established laws, including appointments and promotions of members of staff, in the absence of a governing council.

Other issues, according to the union, are the purported illegal advertorial for the position of Vice-Chancellor by the then Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Alla-led administration and recruitments without due process.

Ugoh said the council had met with the union and agreed to cancel the advert and republish a new one, following due process.

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He stated that the council also agreed to review the process of employment, which the union was against, and review the issue of promotion, especially the 2022/2023 exercise.

The UniAbuja ASUU chairman said: “Within these 82 days, we have been engaging with the former vice-chancellor but he did not shift ground.

“He refused to comply with the rules; he refused to comply with the act establishing the university and follow due process.

“After all the procedures failed, the union embarked on a comprehensive and indefinite strike.”

Ugoh said that since the inauguration of the council, the union had been engaging the council and the university management.

He said that the council met with ASUU on July 18 and communicated to it in writing on the issues bordering on the strike.

Ugoh disclosed that the council also agreed to review the promotion exercise, especially the 2022/2023 exercise.

He added that the new council had also directed that the election into the positions of Deans of Faculties and Provost of the College of Health Sciences be conducted.

“The congress unanimously resolved to suspend the strike so that the university administration will be able to look at the issues,” the ASUU chairman noted.

The Star